


You're gonna go places, kid

by emperorforshort (fus_ro_david)



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Discussion of Past Abuse, M/M, Past Abuse, Wine, french stereotypes i guess, random politicians
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 13:50:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6857572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fus_ro_david/pseuds/emperorforshort
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nicaise is smart, young, attractive, intelligent, talented, young, sarcastic, funny, joyful, young, gregarious, humble, cunning but, above all, young. Nikandros is a bit intimidated, perhaps a little bit into it, but he's 100% proud.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're gonna go places, kid

**Author's Note:**

> FINALLY I FINISHED THIS GOOD LORD UP ABOVE. Thank you, Mishima for looking at this and making it less messy. I'm just -flops- writing is too fucking difficult m8s. And you know what's harder? Picking a title.

It had been a long day of discussions and disagreements and bargaining that seemed to hold no end in sight. Everyone at the table was growing tired, anxious to see the sad excuse of a feast to end so they could go back to their lives and complain about this very meeting. Nikandros still didn't know how much longer it would last, but he shared the sentiment. The young man next to him, however, still retained that air of refreshing superiority he had from the moment he sat down. It was, to be honest, a bit infuriating how these palace-bred Veretians could act so similarly to each other.  
  
And Nikandros was sure it had to do with something with the former Veretian capital's palace breeding. These fidgety men he saw sitting around the table were extremely easy to read for all they tried to conceal their true nature. It made Nikandros' head hurt to think that he's so used to dealing with Laurent and Nicaise on a near daily basis that dealing with actual politicians was like walking into some poor amateur imitation of whatever this shitshow is.

One of the shitshow runners-- a man Nikandros already despised and whose name he already forgot-- was raising his voice above the murmurs and complaints of his fellow complainers to go back to the same topic that Nikandros (and everyone else) had hoped was closed and done with. He was about to shut him the fuck down when his companion spoke up, effectively interrupting Lord... Whatever.  
  
“I think,” Nicaise said, gingerly standing from his chair by pushing himself up with his hands, “that it's enough for today. Thank you all for coming to speak with us. We shall continue our conversations during this week of festivities.”

Nikandros stood up along with the men, already mid bow and with parting words at the tip of his tongue when Nicaise spoke again. Small comments like this one, Nikandros knew from experience, tended to leave the room with such a suffocating feeling that there was literally no choice but to leave. Nicaise was particular to this sort of public humiliation as much as Laurent was, and Nikandros mentally braced himself for what was to come.  
  
“As for your previous comment, Lord Duchamps,” _Well, good riddance to that poor bastard._ “Since you are so clearly above speaking openly and honestly to approved representatives of the Crown as are the Kyros of Ios and I, allow me to suggest that next time you want to discuss Veretian matters, you are more than welcome to send a letter to your King himself and I'm just certain His Majesty will free a couple of hours of his extremely busy schedule just so you can grace him with your presence. Emperor Laurent of Artes and King Damianos of Akielos and Vere will be most pleased to discuss matters of household management with you.”  
  
In Nikandros' humble opinion, that level of complete and total obliteration was unnecessary but somehow welcome. Most of the disagreements today stemmed from the fact that Damen was now King of both countries while Laurent was named Emperor of the new, well, Empire. Joining the kingdoms proved to be an impossible task, logistically speaking, and this was the next best alternative towards making their very, very illogical goal happen. The announcement of the birth of the new Empire went hand in hand with Damen and Laurent's marriage vows.

Nikandros thought it was impossibly corny and so typical of Damen to do something like this. Laurent gave Damianos the power to retake Akielos once and later gave him Vere; Damianos gave Laurent a whole new Empire in return, and it came with a bigger crown too.

Delpha or Delfeur, depending on who was speaking, was now the capital county. The palaces of Ios and Arles were now basically vacation palaces. The Veretians weren't adapting well to the change of capital. The nobles felt such a need to move and live wherever their ruler was. Nikandros was grateful for Akielos' independence in that sense. The Capital, historically, had always been Ios. But Ios also had its own rulers aside from the King as did every province in Akielos. They didn't depend on the higher authority for things that could be solved by local forces. Nikandros was ready to get naked and in bed when he saw that he wasn't alone in his room.  
  
That was another thing people did.  
  
Since he went to almost every single diplomatic trip with Nicaise, most people assumed his relationship with the young man was the same as Damen and Laurent's. Nikandros wanted to scream every time it happened. It's not his fault he wasn't married yet. Well, in a way it was, but it certainly wasn't for lack of trying or because he was taken already. His new role as the ambassador of a budding empire was busy enough as it was. Nikandros could count the times in his hand he had seen the palace of Ios this year.  


Plus, it was nerve wracking to be proven over and over again that people did see him, and Nicaise by extension, as the right and left hands of the Kings, treating them with the same level of reverence and respect they would treat their rulers. There were exceptions, of course, like Duchamps. But that's what people like him were. Exceptions to the rule. The rule was overwhelming. And so was marriage and commitment. And so was having to tell servants to prepare him a new room and explain for the millionth time that no, he and Nicaise were not together that way.  
  
“They gave me Laurent's Uncle's old room. Thought we could trade.”  
  
Oh. That was better. Or worse? Nikandros didn't remember much about the former Regent other than the fact that he was a giant piece of shit.  
  
“Uh, sure, I'll ask someone to--”  
  
“Your things are already there, Nikandros, don't worry. Go to sleep.”  
  
Once Damen told him that he should make an effort to get to know Nicaise better. Nikandros hadn't wanted to because, frankly, Nicaise was just a disrespectful brat that liked to poke people with cutlery and that shit was not fun nor tolerable and _not a laughing matter, Damen for fuck’s sake_. For a time, Laurent let Nicaise get away with this behavior and Nikandros was genuinely surprised when the Veretian King put his foot down and began properly raising this child.

Laurent had been less nice about Nikandros' treatment of Nicaise, or a lack thereof. Despite the fact that the comment was framed as a suggestion, it was clearly an order to make it work. Nikandros sometimes felt Damen and Laurent made too much emphasis on the fact that the future of the Empire rested on their shoulders (they being Nicaise, Nikandros, Damen and Laurent). Nicaise also tried to make their work relationship more enjoyable at times, but it only took Nikandros a blurted out misplaced comment about how distasteful he found his young coworker to make Nicaise stop trying.  
  
He was not an idiot though. Nikandros could see how much his coworker had matured over the years. Nicaise was now a man nearing his 22nd year of life, single, beautiful (because he's also not blind), with productive lands and great ideas for the future of Artes, on top of that he was already a successful and experienced diplomat. Nikandros hadn't agreed with it back then, but from the moment Akielos had his rightful King back, Laurent suddenly appeared everywhere with this young child by his side, with a tongue as scorching as his own and started handing him responsibilities no one in their right mind would give to any 13 year old.

It was a fast track education through the experience itself that made Nicaise the man of politics he was today. By the time he was 16, he earned his last name and even got a land for himself. It was mostly sentimentality, Nikandros knew, since the last name Nicaise asked to have was none other than the former King of Vere's, and before that the two of them acted as close as brothers can be. The ceremony was basically just a formality to make it official on paper.  
  
“Are you... alright? Why're you still standing there?”  
  
Nikandros groaned. “I'm really tired. I hate these people. They're all...”  
  
Nicaise turned around and smiled. “If you want, I won't let you speak another word and I'll do all the talking. I'll take half your pay for it, though.” Nikandros groaned again and threw himself on the loveseat by the fire. He didn't know where Laurent's Uncle's old rooms were, but considering how big this Palace is, it must be considerably far. Nikandros groaned again. “Are you going to spend the night there?”

“Maybe.”

“Dear Nikandros, how is that going to stop people from assuming we're lovers?”  
  
“Please don't call me dear.”  
  
“Please don't sleep on my loveseat like a man who doesn't understand rejection.”  
  
“It's not yours.”  
  
“It is for the remainder of this week. Wine?”  
  
“No, thanks.”  
  
“Cheese?”  
  
“With wine?”  
  
“Of course.”  
  
“I'll take that.”

Nikandros didn't move though. Nicaise didn't move to feed him either. As far as he was concerned, Nikandros was a grown, adult man accomplished in many things, including but not limited to victories in the battlefield and leading armies and manly stuff like that. He could serve himself his own wine and cut his own cheese.

“Why not stay in that room, though?” Nikandros asked as he finally moved to eat. Nicaise pursed his lips in a very Laurent-like fashion, but unlike him, he turned to look at Nikandros in the eye as he prepared his reply.

“I've already spent a considerable time of my life in there, as you know.”

“I don't know.” Nicaise raised an eyebrow as Nikandros continued with his mouth full. “I really don't.” Finishing the rest of his cup in one gulp, Nicaise shook away the layers of discomfort and shame that had managed to grow in the years after the Regent's death.

“Well, back when I was 10, my family sold me as a pet since that would feed them for a month or more at least. They sold me to the Regent. And managed to stay in his good graces for three years.” Nikandros had already choked on his food at the word 'ten'. He knew that ‘pets’ were slaves. He knew the Regent was a disgusting, foul piece of human garbage as Damen once kindly described him. Nikandros just never knew how awfully _right_ he was.. “At least I don't have to explain to you what a 'Veretian pet' used to do.” Nikandros cleared his throat as he served himself more wine.  
  
“You don't have to talk about it if you do--”  
  
“I won't talk about it, Nikandros, if you don't want me to. But I'm not Laurent. I do answer questions when asked.” That was the most respectful way Nikandros had heard Nicaise tell anyone to shut the fuck up. He was successfully shocked into silence, so he kept on stuffing his mouth with cheese, wine and now bread. “Are you really not going to your room, then?”

“Please let me eat, and then I’ll be on my merry way. Plus, we should talk about something. Get to know each other better.”

“I thought you found me ‘distasteful’.” Nikandros made a face.

“Are you going to deny that you can be pretty distasteful now?” It wasn’t often that Nicaise laughed. Something about that Arles Palace breeding that seemed to rid anyone of humor. Nikandros considered himself a funny man, when the time felt right of course. Damianos was extremely fond of his jokes, has always been, and to Nikandros’ surprise, so was Laurent. He supposed it wasn’t much of a stretch that the two Veretians shared a similar sense of humor. Even if Nikandros just dug up an old insult and pretty much stated that he hasn’t changed his mind about it.

They stayed quiet for several minutes, perhaps even nearing an hour after that. They ate in silence and servants that were summoned from nowhere would refill the plate and the pitcher with the efficiency of one of Akielos’ slaves. Former slaves, now, Nikandros supposed. It wasn’t unusual for them to sit together like this, with everything to talk about and instead choosing to ignore it as they ate. Their bonding time was limited to having trays of food between them and Nikandros didn’t exactly complain.

He missed the soldier life at times, but this (and you would never find Nikandros admitting it to anyone) was much better. The more wine he drank, the less Nikandros wanted to make the trek to the former Regent’s rooms. He was genuinely considering telling Nicaise that, yes, he was going to spend the night sprawled on the loveseat, drunk and ready to have the best night’s sleep ever since arriving at Arles when Nicaise broke the silence once again.

“Damianos sent you a letter, by the way.” Well that’s nice. “I think he doesn’t need you to be an ambassador anymore.” Less nice. Though his head was starting to become heavy with alcohol, Nikandros still found it within himself to frown at the confession of offense. He felt a slightly heavy wad of papers being thrown at his head, Damen’s personal seal broken on top of it.

“You read my letter?” Apparently it made Nicaise muffle the sudden laughter bubbling up from his chest. The sound rang with that joyous tone of innocence, like the little bells on the collars of house cats running around between alleys. His cheeks were slightly rosey now that he’s had at least 3 cups of wine that Nikandros’ seen. He forgets sometimes that Nicaise, again like Laurent, does not like to drink much. And as such, has built up no tolerance for it. “You know it’s illegal for you to read my letters. It’s illegal for anyone to read my letters. It could’ve been something important and secret.”

“Well it was in my room. And Laurent would _never_ allow Damen send important letters to Arles, Nikandros, _please_.”

“It was still my letter, Nicaise.” _Also shut up with your logic, you’re drunk._

“You sound so patronizing right now.” Nicaise stretched his legs over the table with the food and rested his feet on the loveseat across from him, next to Nikandros. The young man was already barefoot and his toenails looked extremely nice. How did he get them to look like that?

Nikandros looked down at his own and just saw a mess of yellow ingrown nails and calluses from walking around in sandals so much. “Calm down, it’s not that important, you’re just being told to focus on being Kyros.” Nicaise finished that sentence with a sigh. And it almost sounded sad. As sad as Nikandros’ toenails.

But no matter what Nicaise’s feet looked like, it didn’t change the fact that Nikandros’ privacy was once again being invaded by his fellow ambassador. “I wanted to read that letter, Nicaise, now I feel like I don’t have to because you’ll tell me what was in it anyways. And it’s not the same because you’ll skip nice details. Damen always includes nice details.” He honestly hoped Nicaise wouldn’t see him pout. Which he’d deny doing anyway.

“It was written by Laurent.”

“Then why say Damen sent it!”

“It’s his seal. Do you want me to tell you what’s in it or not?”

“Yes, please.”

With a smile, Nicaise picked up his feet and brought them to rest on the cushion of his chair, bringing his knees close to his chest and wiggling his impossibly clean toes. He served himself another glass of wine and spared a look for Nikandros, silently asking if he wants more.

Nikandros didn’t answer and Nicaise just poured for him, which was a first and Nikandros wasn’t going to comment on it while his mouth was full of cheese and wine. With a sip, Nicaise finally answered. “Seems to me that Damen wants you back at Ios as soon as possible.”

“Why?”

Nicaise’s smile brightened just a little. Or maybe it wasn’t his smile. It didn’t matter. Nikandros wasn’t good at reading this kind of physical cues on a veretian. “They think I can do this on my own. No need to chaperone me anymore.” Now that was a blow that made Nikandros sit straight and pay attention. Chaperone? Is that what his job the last 6 years have been reduced to? Chaperoning? He was going to have words with Damen. And stronger words with Laurent. He’d made up his mind about sending a very impolite letter at his lieges as he downed his fourth goblet of wine.

Nikandros had been working his ass off all these years, putting off marriage and producing an heir for Ios just to be told that his job was being a glorified babysitter?! Fuck that shit in the ass. Nikandros hadn’t realized he said all this out loud until the sound of Nicaise’s laughter reached his ears again.

“Why is my pain funny to you?”

“It’s not your pain,” Nicaise gasped, wiping a tear from his eye. “Just your face. Oh lord…” Clearing his throat while coming down from his second fit of laughter, Nicaise cleared both his eyes from the falling tears and grinning as bright as the sun, he looked at Nikandros again. “It’s not that your job didn’t matter. But you were meant to teach me, Nikandros. Don’t tell me you didn’t know?”

“Of course I didn’t know, otherwise I would’ve said no!”

Either Nicaise was very drunk, was in a very good mood or Nikandros is just funnier than he had previously anticipated. It was hard for him to keep himself from smiling anymore, so Nikandros gave in and smiled right back. They kept on like that until the moon was high up and bright in the pitch black Veretian sky, with its thousands of stars and nameless constellations.

They weren’t looking at them of course, but the moonlight became their only source of light after all the candles were blown out by the wind and Nicaise couldn’t really stand up to fetch a servant to rekindle the fire. Nicaise couldn’t really stand up at all, much to his chagrin and Nikandros’ amusement.

He saw Nicaise stand up and take a few steps before he had to support himself with the back of Nikandros’ reclaimed loveseat, too busy laughing along with the Kyros to at least get the guard to summon a servant. Nicaise ended up falling on the loveseat, on top of Nikandros, and kicking him off it just as soon. It was getting cold by the time the wine (as well as the cheese) was gone.

Nikandros’ robes weren’t meant for this kind of weather and Nicaise mentioned that winter was only a month away, according to the falling leaves. Nicaise wasn’t dressed for it either. In fact, Nicaise wasn’t dressed for much of anything now that Nikandros noticed. Veretian clothes were too many all the time even when in a casual setting, but it turns out Nicaise had been in undergarments ever since Nikandros walked in.

Just a silk shirt that reached the young man’s thighs and pants that Nikandros now saw on the floor next to the chair Nicaise had been sitting on. He didn’t know if the sudden rush of heat through his body was a result of the alcohol still in his blood or the thought that Nicaise’s hips were resting right behind his leg and under the shirt he was as naked as he was under his own robes. It was odd feeling this way sometimes.

Because while it bothered him that people made assumptions, Nikandros couldn’t really deny that in a way (a very small, little, minute, teeny, tiny way) his attraction to Nicaise was, well… it existed. It wasn’t there always, like he supposed should be when it came to lovers (like he’s seen it be with Laurent and Damen), but it appeared once in a very long while. Mostly when he got rid of his own preconceived notions of Veretians and Nicaise in particular and decided to spend time with him outside of the context of work.

What scared Nikandros a little bit, not that he’d ever admit it anyway, was that when he sometimes turned to look at Nicaise like he was doing now, he could see traces of that attraction too. Which is terrible. Because objectively Nicaise is terrible. It wasn’t the first time he saw that look in Nicaise either. And, unlike what happened to him, Nicaise sometimes looked at him… all the time.

Nikandros supposed that was a terrible way to describe it. ‘Sometimes all the time’. But Nikandros was certain it was all the time and he could only sometimes see it. Nikandros knew that Nicaise was more honest with himself than Laurent could ever be. It was the only way he could explain why he could understand Nicaise’s looks and stares without having to go over a million different meanings in his mind.

It didn’t matter though. Because Nikandros was going to go back to being a kyros, and he was going to get married and produce heirs and live in the ivory palace by the cliffs because it was the simpler choice and what his father would’ve wanted him to do since they didn’t exactly have Delpha anymore. So he sighed and stood up, patting Nicaise’s knee on his way to a standing position and fixed the cape of his himation. “I better go now.”

He would’ve made his way to the door had it not been for the hand tugging him in place. Nicaise’s fingers were cold against his palm, and Nikandros thought of telling Nicaise to just close the balcony door and go to bed but found his mouth too dry to form words. They didn’t do the touching thing in private. The times it had accidentally happened tonight were enough to make Nikandros just a little bit more sober than before, more aware of his surroundings, of his actions. Less funny, according to Nicaise. “You can stay… Yeah?”

Nikandros swallowed then looked down at Nicaise in an attempt of nonchalance. “Are you actually being polite and asking instead of just demanding?” Also an attempt to joke. It was poorly received.

“Yes.” Nicaise’s voice suddenly had that sharp edged quality that reminded Nikandros so much of Lau--. “You have to stop thinking I’m just a carbon copy of Laurent.” Oh ok. “I’m not. You should know I’m not.”

“I don’t think you’re a c--”

“Everyone thinks I am, Nikandros, even you. I ask for things, I can be polite just because people deserve politeness, I say please and thank you and can’t ride horses for shit anymore because they terrify me. I’m more than what Laurent or The Regent made of me.”

“Nicaise, I never said tha--”

“You don’t have to say it to believe it.” Nicaise stood up, letting go of Nikandros’ hand in such an abrupt motion it almost felt like a slap. Suddenly he was sober. But Nicaise wasn’t. He hadn’t made it to the actual bedroom chambers when almost came down onto the floor after tripping with his feet. It was almost because Nikandros was there in a second to catch him before he fell. Which, to be fair, was impressive. Fake sobriety or not, drunk was drunk. “Please let me go.”

“Hey, you just asked if I could stay… c’mon.”

“Well you clearly don’t want to, so you can let me go.”

“Nicaise… Are you…?” Crying. Nicaise was crying. It wasn’t the soft cry of someone who was trying to hide the fact either. It was open, it was vulnerable, and Nikandros wanted nothing more to put his arms around him and hold him up so he did. Nikandros briefly wondered how many more shocks his drunken state could take before it vanished completely. It couldn’t be many more, however.

With nothing but Nicaise’s sniffles and sobs filling the silence, Nikandros helped him get to bed, even pulling the covers so Nicaise could get under them comfortably. He didn’t wait for Nicaise to hold his hand to get him to stay though. Nikandros simply sat on the bed and ran his hand through Nicaise’s hair, feeling foolish and idiotic for not knowing how to comfort a crying child. Man. Fuck.

“I hate this place,” Nicaise said. “I hate it, I hate it so fucking much, I hate that I have it fucking… burnt into my head. I _hate_ it. I used to hide from him when I first got here and I’m just, fuck, I’m so disgusted sometimes because… Because after a while it was fine. It was fine.” Nikandros kept caressing Nicaise’s head, almost asking if he should stop (or go, because one can never be too sure about that) but he let Nicaise speak. Or, rather, drain. He didn’t expect the next question to be so heartbreakingly honest.

“Why did Laurent leave me here?”

It took Nikandros a couple of minutes to figure out whether or not Nicaise wanted an answer. He decided to give him one. “He didn’t leave you,” he said. “You’ll be back home soon. In Marlas, with him and Damen. You can get a girlfriend.” Nicaise sniffled at that, giving Nikandros a look. “Oh I know about the girl, alright. Don’t try to hide it. You liked it. You can get one.”

“I don’t want one.”

“You should still get one, it’s not like you have to marry her or anything. Marlas girls are fun. Best of both worlds. Everyone is mixed in Delpha.”

“Delfeur.”

“Still up for debate.”

“It’s going to be Delfeur. Nikandros, I don’t want to talk about girlfriends.”

“Right.” Nikandros saw Nicaise wiping the tears away from his face rather uselessly. He was still crying, after all. “Sorry. I don’t know how to help.” With a small, helpless laugh, Nicaise turned on the bed to look at Nikandros fully, moving a bit to the side clearly expecting him to take up more space in the bed. More silent thinking. More expectant looks. Nikandros took off his cape and lied down next to Nicaise.

“Thanks for staying.”

“Who said I’m staying, hm? Maybe I’m just waiting for you to go to bed.” Nicaise took Nikandros’ hand and lifted it to put it between their faces and that definitely made Nikandros look. Nicaise was on his side, his face inches away from his and his eyes were red, puffy and shiny with tears. It was confusing but also stupidly simple to understand. Nikandros almost hated it. “I’m really too old for you, Nicaise.”

“I like older men.”

“Oh… gods, please, don’t.”

“Sorry. That was awful.”

“Yeah, it really was.”

“It doesn’t have to be anything, y’know?”

“But you deserve something.” That was it. That was the core issue that Nikandros was struggling to find to explain the uneasiness that came with liking a man like Nicaise. “You deserve something… Huge. More than me. So much more.” He felt Nicaise draw a breath, holding it for a moment and exhaling slowly. Nikandros could feel it in his hand. That’s how _close_ they were. Nicaise’s face was bright pink under the moonlight, brighter than whatever the wine could bring out. So maybe, Nikandros thought, he had hit the jackpot.

“Kyros of Ios is a pretty big something, don’t you think?” It was so quiet and it was so hopeful. Nikandros wanted to say yes. Yes it’s a pretty big something. Yes you can have it too. Is this how Artes was formed? An odd bed conversation between Damen and Laurent that felt so intimate that promises of kingdoms and empires felt extremely fitting? Nikandros could believe it, really. He understood Damen a little bit more now. And yet.

“You’re more than that, Nicaise. You can have the world. You don’t have to hide in hidden cupboards anymore.” He placed a kiss on the back of Nicaise’s hand, because Nikandros felt he deserved at least that. And he got much more when he saw Nicaise smile through fresh new tears. Nikandros was almost worried until he saw they were just… well, happy tears.

“That’s really nice. That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“I can be pretty nice.” He wrapped an arm around Nicaise and pulled him close. Nikandros waited until Nicaise was asleep enough for him to remove his arm without waking him. Nikandros didn’t leave the bed, though. He stared for a bit, allowing himself another liberty. Nikandros thought of Damen’s letter, of what he’d write as a reply. Maybe he’d just gush about Nicaise going places. So many places.

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT 15/05/2016, 16:33 pm: TYPOS!!! IN MY FIC?!?!?!


End file.
